Henry e



(N Model.) H' E- MOOMAW.

- GAR GOUPLING.

No. 450,085. Patented Apr. 73.1891.

@www0 UNITED STATES PATENT IEEICE.'A

HENRY E. MOOMAW, OF OARYVILLE, FLORIDA, A SSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO E. T. HINOTE, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,085, dated April 7, 1891.

Application filed January 5, 1891. Serial No. 376,722. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may erinnern: is inclined forwardly and downwardly, and' Be it known that l, HENRY E. MOOMAW, a abuts against the similarly-inclined wall of citizen of the United States, residing at Oarythe forward end of the slot and its front rearville, inthe county of Vashington and State wardly-inclined edge a abuts against the 5 of Florida, have invented certain new and rearwardly-inclined wall a of a recess or 55 useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of opening in the bot-tom of the draw-head. The which the following is a specification, referrear end of the dog is provided with one or ence being had therein to'the accompanying more perforated ears for the attachment of drawings, in whichthe operating-rods. The lower portion of the ro Figure 1 represents a perspective view of rear edge of the dog is curved downwardly 6o one end of an ordinary box-car provided with and forwardly in order to facilitate the withmyimprovements; Fig. 2, avertical longitudidrawal of the dog from the link, as set forth nal sectional view, and Figs. 3 and 4 detail in my former patent. views of the automatic dog and link depressor. Connected to the rear upper end of the dog 15 The invention has for its object the provisis a gravitating link depressor or holder c, 65 ion of improved and simple means for autowhich preferably consists of a pair of plates matically coupling cars when they come toarranged upon opposite sidesof the dog and gether; and it consists in certain novel imconnected together at their upper ends, thus provenients and combinations of parts that formingpracticallya U-shaped castingadaptzo will be fully hereinafter described, and pared to embrace the dog. This gravitating 7o ticularly pointed out in the claims appended. holder is connected to the dog by pins which The invention has particular reference to pass through vertical slots in the same, thereimprovements upon the coupling covered by by securely attaching the device thereto, but Letters Patent No. 433,902, and issued to me allowing it a limited vertical movement, as is 25 on the 5th day of August, 18,90, as will presevident. This device c is adapted to rest 75 ently appear. upon the inner end of the link when the same Referringto the annexed drawingsbyletter, is in the draw-head and keep its forward end a designates a plate or dog of approximately elevated and in proper position to enter the triangularshape adapted to work in a vertical adjacent draw-head when the cars come to- 3o longitudinal slot in the top of the draw-head. gether, thereby avoiding the danger of hav- 8o The draw-head is practically of the ordinary ing to put the hand between the approaching shape, except that it is preferably a little draw-heads to hold up the link. The essenlarger at its forward end and provided with tial advantage of this link-holding device is a wider iarin g mouth than the ordinary form that it not only readily and automatically ad- 3 5 in order that the links may enter more readjusts itself to variations in the thicknesses in 85 ily than usual. The draw-head is connected the links, but it also accommodates itself to to the car-frame in any suitable or improved and has a tendency to prevent the vibrations manner, and it is provided on its upper side of the link while the cars are in motion withwith a pair of abutments h h, which abut out in the least disturbing the dog, the holder 4o against the end beam of the car, and thereby being, of course, of sufficient weight to ac- 9o prevent injury to the upper projecting end complish these objects. of the dog by preventing the draw-head from In operation the entering link strikes being forced too far under the car. The upagainst the forward rearwardly-inclined edge perforward end of the dog is pivotally secured of the dog and automatically lifts the same 45 in the slot by a transverse horizontal pin b, and passes beyond it, whereupon the rear end 95 which is secured in the draw-head and passes of the dog by its own weight drops down through a horizontal slot formed in the dog, through the link and prevents its withdrawal, this slot permitting or allowing the sameA a the gravitating depressor or holder keeping limited forward and backward movement in the link in a horizontal position, as before eX- 5o the slot. The forward upper end of the dog plained. Any form of link may be employed Ioo in this coupler; but I prefer one slightly pointed at its ends, as shown.

By enlarging the pin-hole in the dog and by inclining the front walls of the upper and lower slots in the manner shown and described it will be observed that the said horizontal pin will be entirely relieved of all strain, the strain being exerted upon the oppositely-inclined front walls of the upper and lower slots, as is evident. This relieving the pivotal pin of the pulling strain entirely renders the device very strong and durable. It will be observed that the dog, when subjected to the pulling strain, exerts a sort of wedging action against the oppositely-inclined walls of the slots, and that therefore the greater the strain the tighter will the dog be held.

I may employ any suitable devices to operate the dog in uncoupling; but I prefer the means shown in Fig. 1, which are substantially the same as the devices shown and described in my former patent hereinbefore referred to, and which consists of a rock-shaft journaled on the end of the car and provided at its ends (which extend to the sides of the car) with operating-handles, this rock-shaft being also provided with an arm which is connected to the dog by a rod. A vertical rod is connected to this arm and extends to the top of the car. These devices enable the coupling devices to be operated from either side or the top ofy the car, thereby avoiding the necessity of going between the cars for that purpose.

It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the rear portion of the bottom of the mouth of the draw-head is hollowed out or depressed in order that the link-depressor may depress the inner end of the link and elevate the forward end thereof to a proper position to readily enter the adjacent draw-head when the cars come together.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination of a draw-head slotted longitudinally in its upper side, the dog pivoted at its upper forward end in this slot, the pivotal pin passing through a horizontal slot in the dog, the upper and lower ends ofV this dog being oppositely and rearwardly inclined and adapted to abut against similarlyinclined walls in slots in the draw-head, the rear lower edge of this dog being downwardly and forwardly curved, a gravitatin'g link-depressor carried by the said dog, and means for operating the dog, all arranged as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The combination of a draw-head slotted longitudinally in its upper side7 an automatic dog pivoted in this slot at the forward end thereof, and a link-depressor consisting of a pair of connected plates embracing the rear end of the said dog, this depressor being connected to the dog by means of vertical slots and pins, whereby it may have a limited independent vertical movement thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY E. MOOMAV.

Witnesses:

W. M. CHRISTMAN, ARTHUR BURGOYNE. 

